How to Bake Broccoli in the Oven

This recipe is easy. Prepping takes about 5 minutes, then the roasting takes another 25 — making this perfect for busy nights. Once the broccoli has roasted toss it with some grated cheddar cheese. Since the broccoli is still hot, the cheese melts down onto the florets — making broccoli that almost anyone will love.

Consider replacing the broccoli with cauliflower or even carrots. Roasting vegetables really brings out so much flavor. Plus, you can usually throw the baking sheet of vegetables into the same oven as whatever else you are cooking for dinner. We call for a 425 degree oven below in our recipe, but if you had chicken or something else in the oven with a lower temperature, you can still roast the broccoli (or other vegetables). They will just take a little longer. Oh and if you were wondering, we have tried this method with frozen florets and it works just fine!

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: This Easy Broccoli Salad recipe. Crisp, green broccoli is tossed with bacon, cranberries, red onion and a zesty dressing made with mayonnaise, mustard and apple cider vinegar.

Recipe updated, originally posted September 2011. Since posting this in 2011, we have tweaked the recipe to be more clear. – Adam and Joanne

Cheddar Baked Broccoli Recipe

This cheddar baked broccoli is quick and simple to make. Think about swapping the cheddar for other cheeses — parmesan, feta, or goat cheese would all be delicious.

Makes 4 servings

You Will Need

1 1/2 pounds broccoli (about 3 cups)

1 clove garlic, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 ounce sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (about 1/4 cup)

Directions

Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Prepare the broccoli by cutting the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving about an inch of stalk attached to the florets. Pull the larger florets apart, so all are a similar size. Then use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer skin of the stalks. Chop stalk into 1/2-inch discs.

Place the broccoli onto the baking in a single layer. Add the garlic and drizzle with olive oil. Season with the salt and red pepper flakes pepper then toss so that the broccoli is well coated.

Bake until tender and the tips of some of the florets are slightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the oven and immediately toss with the cheese.

Adam and Joanne's Tips

About broccoli stalks: Depending on where you buy your broccoli, the broccoli may come with long stalks. These are delicious! Remove the florets then use a vegetable peeler to peel away the tough outer skin of the stalks. If they are very woody, you might want to cut away about an inch from the end and discard. Save the rest of the stalk though, it is perfect when baked.

If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #inspiredtaste — We love to see your creations on Instagram and Facebook! Find us: @inspiredtaste

Made this for a dinner party. So quick and easy and it came out fabulous! I pre-steamed the broccoli for a few minutes before roasting to cut down on the time required. I also added the cheddar before roasting, and skipped the additional olive oil after removing from the oven to cut down on the greasiness. The broccoli disappeared in minutes.

I’m totally addicted to roasted broccoli… so much so that I’ve nicknamed it “green crack”, because I get such terrible cravings for it. 🙂 This cheddar variation sounds divine. Must try it out next time I’m jonesing!

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